Safety-exit.



G. B; VWOODARD.

SA FETY EXIT. APPLIQATIQH. FILED APR. 12, 1912 1,056,140 Patented Mar. 18, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 0. B. WOODAVBD.

SAFETY EXIT. APPLICATION PIILED APB.12. 1912.

Patented Mar. 18, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

- CHARLES'B/WOODAIZD, F SPRINGFIELD, TENNESSEE.

SAFET'Y EXIT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented ar, 1913'.

Application filed April 12, 1912. Serial No. esoaz'i;

T 0 all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, CHARLES B. WOODARD, v citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Robertson and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety- Exits, of which the following, is a specification. i

This invention relates to doors and lock ing means therefor, and has asits object to provide a door especially adapted for use in theaters, halls, factories, department stores, schools, and in fact any buildings in which a number of people are to congregate and in which there would be liable to'be arush for exits, in the event of fire. V

It has been proposed to provide the doors .of buildings, such as mentioned above, with locks-which are. adapted to be released by the pressure of a persons hands against abar .or plate mounted upon the .'door and having connection with thelock through the medium of levers and links Such ,a device, however, presents the disadvantage that the 5 mechanism being complicated is liable to get out of order and 'be disarranged at the time when it is necessary that it should operate, and furthermore pressure must be exerted at one-certain p int.

It is one aim of the present invention, to provide a locking device for such a door which will be released upon the pressure being applied at practically any point in the surface'area' of the door, so that in the event of a panic and a rush for the exits in albuilding equipped with the invention, the first person reaching the door, whether voluntarily, or by being thrown or pushed against the door, will actuate the device to 40 release the door for outwar swinging movement.

A further aim of the invention is to so construct the locking mechanism for the door that it may be released by the use of a key from the outside, so that while the door may be opened by any authorized person, from without, it may be readily and quicldy swung open by any one within the building in which it is located.

In the accompanying drawings :-F igure 1 is a view in elevation of a door embodying the present invention: F ig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view through the door showing the locking mechanism therefor in top plan;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the locking mechanism and a portion of the door; Fig.

4 is a fragmentary perspective view of one lower corner of the door; Fig. 5 is a veiticg.

sectional view on the line 5-5 of F ig.- 1. In the drawings, the door frame is indi- 80' cated by the numeral 1, and the door proper by the numeral 2, the latter'being' mounted in the frame for swinging movement by j means of hinges The means provided for holding the door 61? locked and for releasing the ,same for outward swinging movement is inthe nature of a flexible panel which is supported between upright bars-and one of these bars,

indicated by the numeral 4, is secured at its upper and lower endsto fixed brackets 5 located 'at the upper and lower corners of the door at the bin ed side thereof. The other bar is indicate by the numeralfi and has its upper. and lower ends bent at right 76 angles, as at, 7, and pivoted, as at 8, to

brackets 9 secured'upon the inner. face of the door 2 at the. upper and lower corners thereof, these brackets being located atthe free" side of the door. Byreferring to'Figs. 2 80 and 4 of the drawings, it will be observed that the bar 6 is so supported that it may 7 be swung to the right, as in Fig. 2, about the pivots-8. p

That portion of=each bracket 9 to which the corresponding right an arly bent end 7 of the bar 6 is pivoted, as its edge ex-- tending at an angle to the face of the door, as indicated at 10, andea'ch end 7 of the bar. G'is formed with a shoulder-11 extending diagonally thereacross 'and abutting against the angular edge 10 of the respective bracket whereby tolimit the swinging movement of the bar to the left, or, in other words, toward the free side of the door. 'A'

keeper 12- is secured upon one side of-the" door frame 1, and-a latch head 13-is formed or secured upon the bar 6,, refer-ably at'a point substantially midway etween its up-' per and lower ends and is arranged to en-' gage behind the keeper 12 whereby to hold the door in closed position. The bar '6 is normally and-yieldably held with the head- 13 in engagement, with the keeperby means of a spring 14 which secured upon the inner face of the door by means of clips 15 and is coiled, as at 16, and provided with a forwardly projecting arm- 17 beyond its coiled portion, which arm bears against the said bar 6 for the purpose stated,

The flexible panehmentioned above, is preferablyin the nature of a sheet of wire mesh material indicated at 18, although. it

may be of cloth, or any other like flexiblein the said figure, and the latch head l3 will be moved out of engagement with the keeper 12. lherefore,'should anyone press against the flexible panel 18, or be thrown against'the'same, the door will be immediately released foroutward swinging move nicnt. Inasmuch as the bars4 and 6 are rigid and the-panel 18 is'stretched taut between the same, it will be understood that pnessure exerted against any portion of the area of the flexible panel will result in disengagement of the latch head 13 from itskeeper. It will also be observed at this point that by reason, of the engagement of the shoulders 11 withthe edges 10 of the brackets 9, the-[bar '6 will be restrained ,against 30 swinging movement in the d rection of the free side of the 'door ui -n -the door. is swun to open position, and that cons;

quently when the dooris swung :closed the latch head'13 will be in position for eng'agement withits keeper12; In order that the door may be manually opened from within *without the necessity of pressing against the panel 18 'a'handle 19 is secured upon the bar 6 at any convenient point. p

As before stated, means is provided whereby the door may be unlocked, from without, bythe use of a proper key, and this means comprises essentially a m mber ,which is mounted for sliding 1110\J6I1t upon the inner face of the door, andwhich is in engagement with the bar 6, sliding movement of the member in one direction being effected by the use of a key, for the purpose of swinging the said bar 6 to disengage its-latch head'13 from its keeper 12. The member mentioned above consists in part of a bar 20 which is slidahly mounted in bearings21 upon theinner face of the door and has its end which is locatednext adjacent the free side of the. door bent to extend forwardly at right angles, as at 22. This end of the bar is preferably strengthened by a diagonal brace 23 secured tov it at its free end and extending inwardly at an angle and secured to the bar 20, as at 24.

By referring to Fig. 3 of the drawings, it will be observed that the forwardly projeeting end 22 of the said bar engages at its extremity with the bar 6,,und as before stated and as will be understood by referbeyond "the inner one of the bearings 21,

and a spring is coiled around this pin and has one arm 26 hearing against a stud 27 upon the bar 20 at its inner end. The other arm of the'spring, indicated by the'numeral 28, projects upwardly and has its end engaged between spaced studs 29 also locatedupon the inner face of the door. This spring serves to normally and yieldably hold the bar 20 slid in the direction of the free side of the door.

A bracket 30 is secured upon the door and is formed with a recess 31 facing the said door and slidably receiving the bar'20, and

this bracket is formed with an opening '32 located directly opposite a key-hole .33

formed in the door. 'The bar 20 is formed,

In its upper side with a notch 34 having an abriipt wall 35 against which the bit '36 of a key '37, shown inFig. 5 of the drawings,

isarranged to act in order that the bar may be'slid against the tension of the spring 26- when the key is turned in one direction. In

order that the bar 20 may be held against such sliding movement and to prevent the bar from being retracted except by the use of a key constructed as shown in Fig. 5 there is provideda detent which consists of a finger 38 pivoted at one end, as at 39, to the inner face of the door 2 and extending beside the inner face of the said bar 20. This finger also extends through the recess 31 in the bracket 30 and at its free end and lower edge is formed with a lug 40 having a portion projectin toward the door' and normally engaging in a notch 41, formedin the lower edge of the bar 20. A spring 42;- ;is coiled about a pin 43 upon the door anti has one arm 44 engaging beneath a stud 45 upon the finger 38. The other arm of this spring bears against a pin or other spitable stop 46upon the bracket 30. The finger 38 is normally held swung upwardly by the spring 42 and with its lug 40 engaging in the notch 41. so as to prevent sliding movexhent of the bar 20. and by referring to Fig.

5 of the drawings 'it will be observed that a portion of the bit of the key 37 is designed to ride over the upper edge of this finger 38 as the key is turned, whereby to :depress the said finger against the tension of the spring -42 and to disengage its lug 40 fnom the notch 41. This depression of the finger 38, of course, takes place prior to the engagement of the bit of the key against the wall 35 of the notch 3-1, so that the initial movement of the key serves to release the bar 20 for sliding movement, and further rotation of the key serves to slide the bar to swing the locking bar 6 to the dotted line Iposit-ion-shown in Fig. 2.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that there is provided a'safety door which will be automatically unlocked and swungopen when pressure is applied at any point ln'the area of the flexible panel 18,

" although the door cannot be opened, from ifo without, except by the use of the proper form of key. 'It will also be-observed that ,zgfter the door has been released and swung *open, or pressure has been exerted against Its-flexible panel, it is not necessary to rearrange any of the elements of the, locking "device before the door can be again closed,

nor does the actuation of ,the locking device by 'the key .37 in any way affect the subsequent actuationof the dei'ice through the for the door, comprising a latch bar mounted for swinging movement, means yiel dably 'holding thebar against movement, and a flexible panel extending across the door and connected directly to the said latch bar. .3/ The combination with a door, ofa.

lock for the door, including a latch bar rnountedfor swinging movement and extending vertically at the free side of the door," means yieldably holding the latch bar against movement to release the door, and

a flexible panel extending across the door and connected to the latch bar and sup- V ported at one side thereby.

4. The combination with a door, of a lock for the door,-compr1sing a bar having angularlyextending ends pivoted to the door, a

latch head carried by thebar and arranged to engage a keeper upon the frame of the door, means cooperating with the bar to yieldably hold the same-with its latch head in engagement with the keeper, and a flexible panel extending across the door and connected to the said bar and supported at one Y side thereby.-

5. The combination with a door, of a lock -fo1" the'door, including a member yieldably held against movement to release the door, 'said member comprising a bar extending vertically at the free side of the door and arranged for movement transversely of the door, a bar fixed at the hinged side of'the A door and parallel to the first-mentioned bar,

and a flexible panel secured at one side to the first-mentioned bar and supported there'- by and at its other sideto the fixed bar.

6. The combination with a door, of-a lockfor the door, including a; bar mounted for swinging movement at'the free side of the 'door and carrying a latch head, means.yield- A ably holding the bar against movement to disengage the latch-head .jrom its keeper, means for limiting the swinging movement of the bar in the opposite direction, and a flexible panel extending across the door and secured to the said bar and supported at one side thereby.

7. The combination with a door, of a lockfor the door, including a member yieldably held against movement to release the door, a

flexible element extending across the door,

and connected directly to the said member,

and key operated means arranged for actuation of the said member to release the door. 8.The combination with a door, of a lock for the door, comprising a bar having its ends bentat an' angle and pivoted to the door at the freeside thereof, the said bar extending vertically atthe said side of the door,

parallel relation to the first-mentioned bar,

and a flexible panel secured at the. one side to the fixedbar and at its opposite side to the first-mentioned bar and extending across the door. a A

9. The combination with a door, of a lock for the door, including a member yieldably held against movementto release the door,- a

flexible element-extending across the door and having operative connection with the said member, and key-operated means for moving the member to release the door, said means including a'member slidableQuponw the door and having an arm engaging thesaid member. o

10. The combination with a door, 'ot a "lock for the door, including a latch bar arranged at the free side of the door, a flexi ble element extending across the door-and operatively connected with the latch bar,

and a key-actuated bar ,slidably mounted upon the door and having an arm engaging against the latch bar and arranged, when the last-mentioned bar is'slid in one direction, to move the latch bar 'to position to release the. door.

ll. The combination with a door, of a lock for the door, comprising a latch bar mounted at the free side of the door, means yieldably holding the latch bar in position to lock the door, a flexible element extending across the door and connected to ;the latch bar, a member slidably mounted upon the door and'having a portion operatively connected with the latch bar, thesaid memher being key-actuated to move the latch bar ,4 out of position to lock the door, and a de:

pivoted vfinger having :1 lug engaging with a. to release the door, and key-actuated means stop upon the said member, the said detent being arranged to be key-aotuzited to release the member for movement.

12. The combination with a door, of a lock for the door, comprising a member yieldably held in locking position, normally out means, extending across the door-29ndfor so moving the member.

In testimony whereofv I afiix my signature in presenve of two witnesses.

HiLLtLES B. WOODARD. [L.s.] Witnesses:

Geo. H. LAWRENCE, B. M. HAWKINS. 

